Christian Zionism - New Life Tabernacle of Chattanooga

Master, over Jerusalem, nor prays that now, at last, she may put on
her beautiful garments.’ 321
Although Shaftesbury lamented Palmerston’s unbelief, he nevertheless saw
him as God’s appointed man to bring about the restoration of the Jews. As a
first step, Shaftesbury persuaded Palmerston to appoint the fellow
restorationist William Young as the first European vice-consul in Jerusalem.
He subsequently wrote in his diary, ‘What a wonderful event it is! The ancient
City of the people of God is about to resume a place among the nations; and
England is the first of the Gentile kingdoms that ceases to “tread her
down.”’ 322 His gentle lobbying of Palmerston proved successful. Palmerston
wrote an important letter to Ponsonby, the British ambassador in
Constantinople, dated 11 August 1840. It concerned the mutual benefit to
both Turkey and Britain of allowing Jews to return to Palestine. Palmerston
argued that the restoration of the Jews would be an important means of
maintaining the status quo, and of avoiding the disintegration of the Muslim
Ottoman Empire:
‘There exists at the present time among the Jews dispersed over
Europe, a strong notion that the time is approaching when their nation
is to return to Palestine ... It would be of manifest importance to the
Sultan to encourage the Jews to return and to settle in Palestine
because the wealth which they would bring with them would increase
the resources of the Sultan's dominions; and the Jewish people, if
returning under the sanction and protection and at the invitation of the
Sultan, would be a check upon any future evil designs of Mohamet Ali
or his successor ... I have to instruct Your Excellency strongly to
recommend [the Turkish government] to hold out every just
encouragement to the Jews of Europe to return to Palestine.’ 323
It is not clear on what factual grounds Palmerston based his observations
concerning the aspirations of European Jews. Nevertheless, days after Lord
Palmerston sent his letter, a lead article in The Times, dated 17 August 1840,
321 Anthony Ashley, Earl of Shaftesbury. Diary entries as quoted by Edwin Hodder, The Life
and Work of the Seventh Earl of Shaftesbury, (London, 1886), 1, pp310-311; See also
Geoffrey B.A.M. Finlayson, The Seventh Earl of Shaftesbury, (London, Eyre Metheun,
1981), p114; The National Register Archives, London, Shaftesbury (Broadlands) MSS,
SHA/PD/2, 1 August 1840.
322 M.J. Pragai, Faith and Fulfilment, Christians and the Return to the Promised Land,
(London, Vallentine, Mitchell, 1985), p45.
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